Self's Murder: A Gerhard Self Mystery    by Bernhard Schlink Order:  USA  Can Vintage, 2009 (2009) Softcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Even though he is now seventy, Gerhard Self has not given up his profession – sleuthing. He also has trouble with commitment issues - about which his girlfriend Brigitte is not too happy. Facing one of the most baffling and unusual cases of his career, Self can't resist. A man on the street hurriedly hands Self a suitcase full of money, then leaps into a car and promptly crashes into a tree and dies. Prior to this, Herr Welker (part owner of a German bank) approached Self to find his silent partner. No record of the person exists and Welker wants to write a history of the bank. Self, in pursuit of this silent partner, travels to East Germany shortly after the fall of Communism, and there closes in on a money-laundering ring with close connections to the Russian Mafia. Self's Murder is the third in the series. Self is rather a breath of fresh air in that he is not young, not a hunk or an intellectual, but an ordinary man with a great sense of curiosity and a compulsion to finish what he starts. He's just not ready to throw in the towel and retire completely. He is at his best while investigating, enjoying bringing the wrong-doer to justice. Self is soft-spoken with the courage of his convictions. Rather, I suspect, like his author. The plot takes Self through East Germany with some beautifully written prose. His characters are personal and easy to believe in, with dialogue that I wish I could write. Unfortunately, the author set out to write a trilogy, so Self will not return unless Mr. Schlink has a change of heart. I hope he does. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews